AVENGERS READING ORDER: Before the Avengers (1962-1963)

I'll openly admit to not really being a fan of the '60s comics. No one should feel obligated to go back to the very beginning to understand the Marvel Universe, no matter what anyone tells you. But, for those of you who love that era or are just plain curious about it, I present to you the earliest appearances of Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and the Wasp. Five heroes who go on to become Earth's Mightiest...

After this little run down of their early days, you'd be looking to pick up the very first issue of their team book when they become the Avengers! See how they gain their unique powers, fight Communists, fend off alien invasions, fight Communists, face odd arch nemeses and fight Communists.

As always, I'd like to thank the guys over at www.chronologyproject.com which I use as a basis and work out my own continuity. Those guys have done all the heavy lifting for me!

MCG Note:

• Issues in blue are worth reading or introduce the characters who play are larger role later in Avengers history.
• Issues in grey are part of these characters' chronology, stories of note that aren't essential to Avengers history or are no longer considered 'required reading'.
• When I run reading orders for Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and other, I may choose to spotlight stories more relevant to them, meaning those 'must-read' issues may differ.

MCG Note: I'm not going to list every Captain America appearance, here. At some point, I'll run a 'Golden Age Captain America Reading Order', if there's enough demand for it.

Captain America Comics #1[1/7] (1941)
First appearance of Captain America (Steve Rogers), the United States' one and only 'super soldier' of World War II.

Venus #6[1/5] (1949)
First appearance of Loki; Loki tries to tempt Venus.

Venus #11[4/4] (1950)
First appearance of Thor; Thor helps Venus defend Earth from creatures from the Third Dimension.

Tales to Astonish #27[1/4] (1962) 

First appearance of Dr Henry 'Hank' Pym; Dr Pym's Pym Particles shrink him down to a diminutive size and almost gets eaten by ants.

Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) 

First appearance of the Hulk/Dr Robert Bruce Banner and Rick Jones; Bruce Banner saves Rick Jones from being blown up by Banner's gamma bomb when Jones wanders onto a gamma bomb test site on a dare; the gamma radiation transforms Banner into the grey-skinned Hulk; Banner's transformations only take place at night.

Incredible Hulk #2 (1962)

The Hulk's skin-tone changes to green; now pursued by a branch of the US army led by General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross, Hulk encounters the alien Toad Men (Tribbitites).

Marvel Super-Heroes Special #3[4/6] (1990)

Hulk battles the Distorter. 

Journey into Mystery #83[1/3] (1962) 

First modern appearance of Thor; first appearance of Dr Donald Blake; Don Blake finds a cane that transforms him in the Asgardian God fo Thunder, Thor; Thor defends the Earth from a Kronan invasion.

Thor: The Legend #1 (1996)

As Thor, Don Blake first visits Asgard and meets Odin.

Journey into Mystery #84[1/3] (1962) 

First appearance of Jane Foster; Thor battles South American Communists.

Tales to Astonish #35[1/3] (1962) 

Hank Pym first becomes Ant-Man and uncovers a plot by Soviet agents.

Incredible Hulk #3[1/3] (1962) 

Hulk is tricked into testing a rocket for the army. 

Tales to Astonish #36[1/3] (1962) 

Ant-Man pursues more Communists.

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1 (2009)

Phil Sheldon observes Thor and Ant-Man's public appearances.

Incredible Hulk #3[2/2] (1963)

Rick Jones recalls the Hulk's origin.

Journey into Mystery #85[1/3] (1962) 

First modern appearance of Loki; Thor returns to Asgard and is reunited with Odin, Balder and Heimdall; Loki attacks Thor on Earth, but is defeated and returned to Asgard.

Incredible Hulk #3[3/3] (1962)

The Hulk joins the Circus of Crime until he realises they're up to no good.

Journey into Mystery #86[1/3] (1962) 

Thor battles the time-travelling Zarrko the Tomorrow Man in the year 2262.

Tales to Astonish #37[1/3] (1962) 

Ant-Man pursues a racketeer called the Protector.

Incredible Hulk #4[1/2] (1962) 

Bruce Banner looks for ways to control the Hulk and use his power for good, in between being chased by the US Army.

Journey into Mystery #87[1/3] (1962) 

Thor is taken prisoner by the Communist Soviet Union.

Tales to Astonish #38[1/3] (1962) 

First appearance of Egghead (Elihas Starr); Ant-Man first faces rival scientist the Egghead when he aligns himself with mobsters.

Incredible Hulk #4[2/2] (1962)
Hulk vs Mongu, a supposed alien who turns out to be a disguised Communist.

Journey into Mystery#88[1/3] (1963) 

Loki learns Thor and Donald Blake are one and the same and turns it to his advantage.

Tales to Astonish #39[1/3] (1963) 

Ant-Man vs a giant, mutated beetle who calls himself the Scarlet Beetle.

Incredible Hulk #5[1/2] (1963) 

The Hulk saves Betty Ross from Tyrannus (an immortal who commands an underground army of Tyrannoids). 

Journey into Mystery #89[1/3] (1963) 

Thor follows the trail of a criminal on the run from the law.

Tales to Astonish #40[1/3] (1963) 

Ant-Man is defeated by the Hijacker. 

Incredible Hulk #5[2/2] (1963)

Hulk and Rick Jones travel to Asia to oppose General Fang's Communist regime.

Tales of Suspense #39[1/3] (1963) 

First appearance of Iron Man (Tony Stark); injured by his own bomb in Vietnam and held prisoner by the Communist Vietnamese, Tony Stark devises a suit of armour to make his escape as Iron Man.

Tales to Astonish #41[1/3] (1963) 

Ant-Man is transported to another dimension.

Journey into Mystery #90[1/3] (1963) 

Thor takes on the alien Carbon Copy Men (Xartan Deviants).

Tales of Suspense #40[1/3] (1963) 

First appearance of the Iron Man Mark II armour; Iron Man dons an upgraded suit of armour to defeat the alien Gargantus.

Tales to Astonish #42[1/3] (1963) 

The Voice uses his powers to take control of average New Yorkers, attracting the attention of Ant-Man.

Fantastic Four #12 (1963) 

Hulk first clashes with the Thing of the Fantastic Four when they try to apprehend the green goliath.

Journey into Mystery #91[1/3] (1963) 

While imprisoned on Asgard, Loki manipulates a mystic called Sandu into attacking Thor. Incredible Hulk #6 (1963) 

Hulk battles the alien Metal Master; Betty Ross starts figuring out that there may be a connection between Bruce Banner (the man she loves) and the Hulk (the monster she fears). 

Tales of Suspense #41[1/3] (1963) 

Iron Man takes on the criminal scientist Doctor Strange (Carlo Strange).

Tales to Astonish #43[1/3] (1963)

Ant-Man is hit by the Time Master's Age Gun.

Journey into Mystery #92[1/3] (1963) 

Loki interrupts Thor's acting debut by stealing his hammer, Mjolnir, and uses it to free himself. 

Tales to Astonish #44[1/2] (1963) 

First appearance of the Wasp (Janet van Dyne); Hank Pym gives his girlfriend super-powers, turning her into the Wasp; Ant-Man and Wasp fight the alien Kosmosians; Hank reveals the fate of his first wife.

Journey into Mystery #93[1/3] (1963) 

First appearance of Radioactive Man (Dr Chen Lu); Thor takes on the Communist menace of the Radioactive Man.

Tales of Suspense #42[1/3] (1963)
Iron Man vs Communist Red Barbarian.

Journey into Mystery #94[1/3] (1963)

Loki mentally controls Thor in a failed attempt to take over the Earth.

Tales of Suspense #43[1/3] (1963) 

Iron Man descends on Princess Kala's Netherworld. 

Tales to Astonish #45[1/3] (1963) 

Ant-Man and Wasp go another round against Egghead.

Fantastic Four #16-17 (1963) 

Ant-Man helps the Fantastic Four when Doctor Doom invades the Microverse during MARKED FOR DESTRUCTION BY DOCTOR DOOM! 

Tales of Suspense #44[1/3] (1963) 

Iron Man travels back in time to defeat the Mad Pharaoh. 

Journey into Mystery #95[1/4] (1963) 

Thor fights an evil Thor duplicate to the death.

Tales to Astonish #46[1/3] (1963) 

Ant-Man and Wasp fend off an alien invasion by the A-Chiltarians. 

Journey into Mystery #96[1/3] (1963) 

Thor fights 'Merlin' (a disguised Maha Yogi).

Ant-Man/Giant-Man Epic Collection vol.1: The Man in the Ant Hill

Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man/Giant-Man vol.1

Include Tales to Astonish #27, 35-46.

Incredible Hulk Epic Collection vol.1: Man or Monster?
Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol.1
Marvel Masterworks: Incredible Hulk vol.1
Include Incredible Hulk #1-6.

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol.1
Mighty Thor Omnibus vol.1

Thor Epic Collection vol.1: The God of Thunder
Include Journey into Mystery #83-96. 

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus vol.1
Iron Man Epic Collection vol.1: The Golden Avenger

Marvel Masterworks: The Invincible Iron Man vol.1

Include Tales of Suspense #39-44.